PR Resolutions for the New Year

Brace yourselves for 2017, friends. After you’ve gulped down the dregs of 2016, it will be time to refocus. Here are our PR resolutions for public interest organizations in the coming year.

1. Be a bright spot

At a time when public approval of government, corporations, and the media has plummeted, approval of the nonprofit sector stands at a respectable 60 percent. As the atmosphere in Washington grows ever more toxic, this is the time to highlight your successes. Nonprofits will need every ounce of cleverness and creativity we can muster in order to wipe away the slime of this past election.

For inspiration, look to the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Throughout 2016, the organization has focused on important successes of the Medicare program, highlighting individual triumphs and larger policy impact.

2. Pitch more podcasts

It’s no secret that we’re living in a golden age of the spoken word. There’s nothing like the immediacy and intimacy of the format. Around 20% of Americans listen to podcasts. In 2016, the very same number of Americans got their news from print newspapers. Not convinced yet? The podcast space is growing and growing fast, with around 20,000 more podcasts added to iTunes every year.

Another thing we love about podcasts? Advertisements. Not unlike the popular digital native ad, the podcast advertisement provides a seamless transition between program content and your messages, as many program hosts will personally record your messages for their audiences.

3. Transition more blogs to Medium

Why *wouldn’t* you want to add an engaged network of readers, writers, and social media influencers to every blog post you publish? Medium’s clean interface and active users have made it the tool of choice for nonprofits like the Malala Fund, ACLU, United Nations, and the Gates Foundation. These organizations use Medium for everything from open letters and public responses, to leadership profiles and explainers.

4. Make news conferences virtual

In 2017 we want to leverage more virtual news conferences for our clients, especially to bring together international audiences. In 2016, we hosted and coordinated a virtual news conference for the World Peace Foundation’s launch of their “African Politics, African Peace” report. The conference brought together participants from Rwanda, the U.K., and the U.S., and provided a platform for live discussion between journalists, academics, and humanitarians across the globe. In 2016, we also coordinated virtual news conferences for the Center for Medicare Advocacy and the NIH sponsored Partnership for Women in Biomedical Careers.

5. Get the most out of Twitter

It’s not breaking news that Twitter is a tool readily available for PR professionals and organizations alike, but what does it really mean to “get the most” out of Twitter? In 2016, we discovered that journalists are actually the most active demographic on the platform. We’ve used Twitter to pitch journalists for stories, build relationships for our clients, and keep media lists fresh. In 2017, we want to strengthen our Twitter PR by incorporating it into every stage of our media outreach strategies.

What are your resolutions for the new year? Reach out and share them with us!